My Two Left Feet
by PlotBunnyWranglers
Summary: I refuse to ask for directions, most of the time I run late, take out and frozen meals were my specialties. Most of all, I don't dance.


**A/N: This was a one-shot we wrote for the Fandom for Autism fundraiser, inspired by the Lee Brice song "I Don't Dance", and with everything we've had going on lately, this is the first chance we've had to post it. We are hoping to have chapters for Stupid Volvo Owner and Strong Foundations ready soon, if the holidays aren't too hectic for us this year. Hope you enjoy! And Happy Holidays to all.  
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I remember it like it was yesterday, although Bella's version of the story is far more romantic than the reality, in my opinion.

We met in a bar, but not as patrons. I had been bartending there since college, and then one night, a beautiful brunette walked in and tied her apron on for the first time. Never in my life had I been known to be shy, but for once, I was tongue-tied. Several times throughout the evening, she tried talking to me as I filled her orders, and all I could manage were smiles, nods, and one or two word responses.

At the end of the night, I went home and gave myself a proverbial kick in the ass for being rude and a complete idiot, and made a plan to redeem myself the next day at the staff meeting. And that was the morning that changed the course of my entire life.

Over the hour of listening to the owner run through the upcoming events and promotions, Bella and I periodically exchanged glances. She discreetly hid her lips behind her hand to mask her laughter when my eyes widened and I bobbed my head subtly with each word being spoken, articulating my boredom with Mr. Cooper's droning speech. Then I caught a movement on her lap in the corner of my vision, and I had to clear my throat to disguise my own chuckle at the motion of her fingers. Her facial expression gave nothing away, as she appeared to be paying rapt attention, but her hand moving like a quacking duck told an entirely different story.

Clearly, she thought he liked to hear himself talk too much, as well. The glint in her eyes as she looked toward me again also hinted that she wasn't mad at me for my rude behavior the night before, either.

When the meeting ended barely five minutes before we had to start prepping for the doors to open, I thought I had lost my chance to apologize to her properly. A couple of the other girls were talking to her before they left, so I made my way behind the bar to begin, deciding to try and find another time during our shift. Yet, as I was stocking the beer cooler, I heard the soft clearing of a throat.

"So, was that as exhilarating for you as it was for the rest of us?" Bella asked from right beside me, already tying on that apron of hers, and my eyes instinctively lowered. She had a slender waist, with just the subtlest of curves emphasized by her movements. The strings were long enough to wrap around her twice, ending in a bow in the front. Like a nice little present to unwrap, and that led to images that had no business popping up in my head.

Snapping my eyes shut helped to dispel them, as I tried to come up with something to say. "If I think hard enough, I'm pretty sure I can safely say that it's recycled from a staff meeting three years ago."

She giggled, the sound so light and sweet, I couldn't help but look at her again. Her cheeks tinged to a tempting pink, her eyes almost whiskey gold under the lighting, and those amazing full lips wide and beautiful in a smile.

"I just pictured him going over index cards and practicing in front of a mirror," she said, laughing again.

That made me chuckle and nod. "I actually caught him doing that in the bathroom last month." Her hand landed on my arm as she laughed again, using me as support. The sound of it was infectious, but since the boss could catch us, I whispered in her ear, "You better stop or he'll know we're talking about him and he'll have to write another speech to reprimand us." A little snort escaped her to which her eyes widened, when she realized she'd done it. "Cute."

She rolled her eyes, gently punching my arm before dropping her hand to her side again. I tried to tell myself that I didn't already miss her touch.

"Thanks for the laugh, and here I thought that you only knew a total of about five words last night." Her parting shot accompanied a wink, a half-cocked smile, and a subtle sway of her hips. Walking away never looked so damn good, and was probably the reason I hadn't been ready for the conversation to end.

"Yeah, about that," I started and followed her to the end of the bar, rubbing the back of my neck. The woman made me so inexplicably nervous, but her concerned gaze as she turned to look at me showed it was unintentional. "I wanted to apologize for being so rude yesterday. I had a lot on my mind."

Well, that wasn't far from the truth. My thoughts had been distracted all night by her eyes, her lips, the soft tone of her voice, her beautifully shaped legs shown off by the short skirt she was wearing—not that I would have embarrassed her, or myself for that matter, by telling her _that_.

Bella gave me a soft smile and a one-shoulder shrug, shaking her head. "I didn't think you were rude. Shy, maybe, but not rude."

I couldn't help but laugh at that assessment, which earned a raised eyebrow from her. "No, I've never had a shy bone in my body, ask anyone. It drove my parents crazy. Just easily distracted at times."

Bella nodded in understanding, obviously biting back a smirk. "So, are you distracted today?"

 _Very_ , my mind answered as my eyes focused on her lips for a moment, but then met hers. "No, I'm fine. Vocal skills in working order and everything."

"Okay," she replied, sliding her pencil behind her ear and turning to face me fully. "Let's start this over. Hi, I'm Bella Swan."

My smile broadened as I gazed down at her extended hand and gently took it in mine. "I'm Edward Cullen."

"Laugh lines. I like it," she said unexpectedly and pointed with her other hand toward my eyes. "It's nice meet you, Edward."

And that was all it took.

The more we talked over the passing weeks that followed, the more we found that we had a lot in common, including a sense of humor that very few understood. Our interactions during our shifts made the time pass quickly each night we worked together, and it wasn't long before I summoned up the courage to ask her out on our first date.

I think I knew from that night that Bella was "the one" for me. The look in her eyes and not so shy smiles she wore throughout the evening told me she likely felt the same as well.

We clicked in nearly every way, until one night when we were cleaning up after the bar closed. I watched Bella as she was wiping off the tables and stacking up the bar stools, swaying her hips back and forth to the rhythm of the music coming from the old jukebox in the corner. She must have felt my eyes on her, as her movements seemed to increase until she finished the last table and looked over her shoulder at me with a knowing smirk.

"See something you like?" she asked in a teasing voice, giggling as I rolled my eyes with a laugh.

"You already know the answer to that question, smartass," I replied and she answered that with a jiggle of her hips. I groaned, since it'd be another hour before we had some time to ourselves. "You don't play fair."

"Are you almost done over there?" Bella asked and I nodded, drying out the last glass and setting it on the shelf. She made her way across the room and I heard the jingle of the keys she had attached to her belt loop, followed by the clicking from the buttons of the jukebox. The next sound that filled the air was a tune I'd been familiar with all my life—Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel. She turned around and leaned back against it with a look of complete bliss on her face, and I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was, humming along. "I love this song. No one listens to the good ol' stuff anymore, know what I mean?"

"Yes, I do," I replied, bobbing my head slightly to the beat. She opened her eyes again to look at me and a small smile teased at her lips, beckoning me toward her with a crooked finger. "What?"

"Come here and dance with me," she said softly and began taking steps across the room to the center of the floor.

My eyes went wide and I shook my head with an uncomfortable laugh. "You really don't want me to do that, Bella. I'm really bad. Your feet would never survive."

Bella continued toward me and came around the bar to take my hand. "Nothing fancy, just a little slow dancing. I think my feet would make it through that."

"And I think you are underestimating how bad I really am. I didn't even go to my high school prom because of it," I stated emphatically, but she began walking backward with my hand still in hers. "I was born with my dad's two left feet, according to my mother."

"You can't be that awful, and there's nothing saying a girl can't lead." Bella's cheesy grin made me chuckle, which broke into a full-bodied laugh as we stopped in the middle of the floor and she circled under my arm. Her other hand trailed around my neck once she was facing me again, and I had to admit, the feel of her body pressing against mine was pretty damn amazing. We began swaying back and forth slowly, our gazes locked until she tilted her head to rest on my shoulder. "See, this isn't so bad, right?"

No sooner had the words left her lips and I stepped the wrong way, causing me to lose my bearing. My foot landed on the tip of her shoe and pinched her toes beneath mine. I thought for sure the moment was ruined when I felt her body tense and looked down to see her wincing with her bottom lip clenched between her teeth as I quickly apologized. Then she started to laugh.

"I guess you really _are_ that bad," she said and lifted her head to gaze at me, cradling my jaw with her hand as I turned my head to look away in embarrassment. She wouldn't let my eyes leave hers and her fingertips ghosted over my cheek, all amusement gone from her features. "Doesn't matter. I love you anyway."

Our motions stopped and I could tell from the look on her face that she had not intended to say what she did. We'd only been dating for a little over two months at that point and hadn't gotten to that point in our relationship yet. Therefore, to say we were both a little stunned would have been an understatement. Her lips parted in surprise and her eyes widened minimally, yet she didn't panic or try to backtrack, either. There was no gasp or slapping her hand over her mouth; in fact, she didn't even move from my arms. I closed my eyes and rested my forehead against hers, stroking the small of her back lightly with my hand. "Thank God. I thought this last flaw was going to be the straw that broke the camel's back for you. That would have been devastating to lose the first woman I've ever loved because I'm a disaster on the dance floor."

Bella started giggling again, but there was a breathy sound to it, and when I looked at her again, I found tears in her eyes. "Aren't we romantic? Our first declaration of love comes out in the midst of jokes."

"And a few smashed toes." I smiled and lifted my hand to stroke her cheek lightly with my fingertips, tracing her lips with my thumb. Before Bella came into my life, I had always thought that if I ever settled down with one woman, it would be when I was forty or so. I'd never even had the inclination to date seriously; I was living up my bachelorhood. She literally changed my entire life and made me a man I barely recognized—in the best possible way. The thought of marrying and spending the rest of my life with the woman in front of me someday did not scare me in the least, as it might have once done. She was my everything, and I was one half to a perfect whole. "I love you with all my heart, Bella."

Her glossy brown eyes gazed up at me and she brought her lips to a hair's breadth from mine. "I love you, too. With everything I am."

I wasn't sure when I'd propose, but that night, I was positive that I'd spend the rest of my life with her.

 _ **One Year Later**_

I wasn't the kind of man that liked to ask for directions if I was lost. It'd been a point of irritation that forced my girl to buy me a navigation system for my truck after we'd gotten lost a few times because of my stubbornness. I also hated to cook and my idea of an amazing meal came out of a box or bag. Having a lavish wedding was not something I'd ever want, but I loved my Bella and I'd have given her the world if I could. When we got engaged just over six months into our relationship, I told her she had free rein to have any kind of wedding she wished, even if we'd be paying it off for a while. She could have gone all out with a big church ceremony and extravagant reception in some fancy hall, but she'd surprised me with a simple one out on my family's ranch. Our parents had, of course, added the more "shabby chic" touches, but overall, it'd been easy going and fun.

The celebration of our nuptials was in full swing, in our big outdoor wedding. Guests milled in and out of a couple of white tents and the barn, all illuminated with lights and candles. A few of my friends' boys ran past, with giggling girls chasing after them. The sun was almost gone, as everyone mingled after dinner, waiting for the band to finish setting up equipment.

I hadn't seen my wife for at least ten minutes, which was hard to do considering she was the bride. Dressed in white and flecks of gold, she was a vision I'd never likely forget. The moment I'd seen her walking at her father's side down the aisle, I thought I'd stepped into a dream and even teared up a bit.

There was no sense in denying it. The whole town witnessed it, but I couldn't care less. She was my whole world and seeing her, ready and willing to be my wife, made me the happiest man I ever thought possible. Bella, perceptive as always, had taken my hand and immediately wiped away my tears, even as I whispered that I loved her. I would've kissed her then, too, but my mother warned me it would spoil the "you may kiss the bride" moment.

"Are you looking for someone, handsome?" I heard a soft, alluring voice behind me say. I turned to look and found Bella with a tiny smile and that sexy come-hither look in her eyes I loved. We hadn't had any substantial amount of alone time in almost a month and I'd missed her desperately. Taking her hand in mine, I pulled her in close.

"Just the most beautiful bride in the world," I whispered in her ear, pressing a small kiss there. She uttered a small sound that went straight to my head, and made me that much more desperate to feel her in my arms. "How much longer before we can leave again?"

"Shortly after the bouquet and garter toss," she replied, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"As if I'd let any one of these asses have something you've worn on your sexy thigh," I teased. She thought I'd been joking, but I wasn't. The plan was to take off her garter and swap it for the one in my pocket—to hell with tradition.

"You are horrible," she said, shaking her head and smiling up at me. "And wonderful and all mine."

I smiled cockily, shrugging. "I knew you'd see it my way."

We remained in our little bubble as the party continued around us, despite the nerves beginning to well inside me. After the cake was cut and all the traditions run through, there was still one last thing I had planned. My hand remained in my pocket for a moment, rubbing the fabric of the garter—that I had in fact traded off—between my fingers and drawing a few breaths in and out before turning my eyes to her again.

I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her closer to my side, leaning down to whisper in her ear. "I have one last surprise for you before I steal you out of here."

Bella's gave my side a gentle squeeze with a smirk. "Can't steal what's already yours. But what did you do?"

I lowered my lips to hers and brushed a soft kiss on them before pulling away, taking her hand in mine. "That's the surprise, my love."

Bella raised an eyebrow, laughing and shaking her head as I began stepping backward. Yet all amusement left her features as familiar keyboard notes came through the speakers and we stopped in the middle of our makeshift dance floor. Tears filled her eyes and her free hand rose to cover her mouth in surprise, and my name passed her lips in a whisper.

"What is a wedding without the bride and groom sharing their first dance?" I asked softly, turning her under my arm as she had a year before, in the same way to the same song. When I pulled her against me, her forehead rested on my chest before pressing a kiss to my lapel. "I wanted to make this day perfect for you, baby."

"It has been. You don't have to do this. I know how much you don't like it," Bella replied and lifted her head to look at me. "I told you I didn't expect it."

"Well, that would render the lessons with my cousin useless, wouldn't it? Can't have that," I said with a wink, spinning her around and making her eyes go wide. Thankfully, I managed to do so without a stepping on her foot once.

Just as quickly, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed, but not enough to completely mask her smile. "When did you manage to take lessons?"

"Lunch breaks at work. Days while you were out with my mom, shopping for the wedding. Any moment I could squeeze in," I replied, pressing a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth. "You deserve the best, Bella, and I have every intention of doing all I can to make sure that's exactly what you get. No matter what it takes, I want to make you happy for the rest of our lives."

"You already do," Bella whispered in response. I felt her fingertips tracing along my hairline and I watched as her smile returned to its full radiance. "Do you have any idea how much I love you?"

My arm secured around her waist to press her body firmly against me and rested my forehead on hers. "Even if it's half as much as I love you, I'm still the luckiest man in the world."

Bella's fingers curled around the back of my neck and she tilted her head to capture my lips in a sound kiss. I didn't hear or feel anything but her for several moments, until the flash of a camera caught both our attentions. We turned our gazes toward the source, and there stood my mother with camera in hand and tears of happiness in her eyes.

If there were one word I could use to describe my marriage to Bella, it would be passionate. Whether we are talking, playing, fighting or making love, we put all of ourselves into it. Therefore, it came as no surprise to either of us that before we'd even reached six months into our marriage, we discovered that we were expecting our first child.

Despite her mood swings, insane cravings, and all the other "joys" of pregnancy—her air quotes, not mine—I honestly never felt more in love with my wife than I did as I watched our child grow inside her. And the day our daughter was born, I thought for sure my heart would burst with the love I had for each of them.

Brianna is the brightest light in my life and watching her grow from infant to toddler, and into the beautiful child she is today has been the most amazing thing I have ever experienced. She has all the beauty and grace of her mother, although she definitely inherited the deeper red highlights in her hair and her light green eyes from me. Yet, most nights, I am more likely to find my little princess in the back yard when I come home from work, hair in pigtails and dirt smudges on her cheeks than in her room playing with dolls.

Then there are ones like tonight.

I walk in the door after work to the sound of my daughter's favorite boyband echoing from the living room. They really aren't my cup of tea when it comes to music, but as I stand there in the doorway watching my little girl singing along so animatedly, it doesn't matter. Her little hips are shaking back and forth as she twirls, causing the skirt of her dress to flutter around her legs.

On one of her turns, she spots me watching her and a broad smile stretches across her face. "Daddy!"

I bend at the waist to catch her in my arms when she runs toward me with a squeal, lifting her into a hug and pressing a kiss to her hair. "Hi, baby. I missed you today. But does Mommy know you're wearing your Easter dress?"

Brianna giggles at the whispered question in her ear and gives me an impish smile as she pulls back to look at me. "I'm being very careful, Daddy. It's just so pretty, doncha think?"

"Almost as pretty as you," I reply, nuzzling my nose against hers. "Dinner's gonna be ready soon, though. Maybe you should change so it doesn't get dirty."

That little bottom lip of hers sticks out in a pout and even gives a little quiver before she unleashes the full effect of the sad green eyes on me. "Just one more song, please. I love this one, it's my favorite!"

"Okay, one more, but then it's straight upstairs to get ready for dinner," I answer, once again caving to her whim.

Bella has often told me that I spoil her a little too much, but lately, she has seemed to ease up and allow me a moment here and there. My baby is going to start kindergarten this coming September and I'm not too proud to admit that I haven't been handling that notion well at all. It doesn't seem that long since we brought our tiny pink bundle home from the hospital and I cradled her in my arms all that night. Time has flown and my little girl has grown up right before my eyes, and I am not ready to let her go yet, even just for those few hours of the day.

I know a lot of it also has to do with Brianna herself, giving her some undivided daddy time before she has to share it with her new baby brother, who is due in just about three months. I'm happy as can be at the prospect of having a son, but becoming the owner of a bar means long hours at times, and keeps me out late some nights. I worry about that, because I don't want to miss anything with my kids.

I set her down on her feet, ready to sit back and watch her as she dances again. Before I can step away, she takes hold of my hand and stops me. Her head is swaying back and forth to the slow melody playing and then she looks up to meet my gaze. "Dance with me, Daddy."

"How about I just watch? Daddy doesn't dance," I reply and begin to make my way toward the couch. I stop short when Brianna's hand leaves mine and I hear an irritated huff escape her. I turn to face my daughter to find her eyebrows tightened, lips pursed and fists on her hips, appearing angry. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"Mommy says lying is bad," she scolds with her finger waggling at me, causing her auburn curls to bounce with the ferocity of her movement. "You danced with her in the picture with the white dress. So, you _lied_ , Daddy."

I watch as she stomps her little feet across the floor to pick up the frame holding the picture of our first dance taken by my mother at our wedding. She thrusts it out facing me, her eyes wide as if challenging me with evidence to a heinous crime. It takes everything in me to not laugh; with as serious as she is, she's likely to kick me. I take the frame from her and set it on the table, holding out my hands to lift her up. "Okay, you caught me. One dance, honey."

Brianna shakes her head and places her hands in mine. "Not like that, Daddy. It's supposed to be like this. That's for babies, and I'm a big girl."

 _Don't remind me, baby girl._

I smile as her hold tightens on my fingers and she steps up onto my feet, then one hand grips my forearm. We begin swaying to the tempo, and she begins to shake her head again. "What's wrong?"

"You gots to move your feet, Dad," she explains with an eye roll. "It's not dancing if you don't move your feet."

"All right, hold on tight, baby," I tell her and she grins, her eyes glinting with excitement as her hold secures on my arm. We begin turning around in circles, causing a fit of giggles to erupt from her—one of my favorite sounds in the entire world. "How's that?"

"I'm dizzy, Daddy!" she exclaims with her laughter, and when I slow down, she reaches her arms up for me. "Up, please."

"Well, since you asked so nicely." I lift her from the ground and settle her on my hip, continuing to move back and forth with her. "I thought you were a big girl."

"I am," she replies contentedly, resting her head on my shoulder. "I just wanted a hug because I love you."

I press my lips to her forehead and hold her against me, relishing in the moment with my little girl. I know the years are going to fly by and times like this will become fewer and farther between as she grows up and I won't be the center of her universe anymore. Instead of hugs and kisses, she'll be asking me for money and the car keys. So, I'm not taking any of this for granted. "I love you, too, baby. So much."

"Can I get in on some of that love, too?" Bella's voice chimes in from behind me and we both lift our heads to look back at her. I catch her stowing the camera she always has handy for moments like this on the table nearby. She ruffles our daughter's hair as she reaches around us, causing her to giggle, and my wife and I blow raspberries on her cheeks.

"Oh, I know, I know," Brianna cries. "You have to dance with Daddy. Please, Mommy. I wanna see."

Who am I to deny such a sweet request? I do as she asks, putting on her feet, she runs up to the iPod and presses repeat. Bella stands in front of me, both of us wearing big smiles and waiting for further instructions, because Brianna always gives them, our fingers intertwined between us.

"Like this," Brianna says, pushing one set of clasped hands up higher, until she's on the tips of her toes. She circles around us and pushes me closer to my wife.

I waggle my eyebrows, causing Bella to laugh. "I think I kind of like dancing nowadays," I whisper in her ear, after a brief hello kiss. "Are you feeling better?"

Her fingers clench a little tighter around mine as I wrap my other arm around her. She nods and rests her head on my shoulder, our daughter singing along with the boy band, watching us with love and adoration in her eyes.

Life couldn't be sweeter.


End file.
